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Staying Grounded: Finding Your Way Back in Times of Crisis

There are many things that can throw us off track: personal crises like performance pressure or family difficulties, as well as global crises—such as climate change or current wars. Staying grounded in such times does not mean being undeterredly strong, but rather finding your way back to yourself and the here and now again and again, even when much on the outside is shaking.

For me, staying grounded begins with accepting that difficult times are part of life. The norm is not "everything is fine," but rather that periods of uncertainty, overwhelm, or doubt occur repeatedly. Remembering this can be a relief—because it reduces the internal resistance to what cannot currently be changed.

Staying grounded also means distinguishing: What lies outside of my control—and where do I have influence? In personal or global crises, it helps to move into concrete action. Activity, even in small ways, can reduce the feeling of powerlessness and strengthen self-efficacy.

Furthermore, challenging times are often those in which development happens. Our brain is forced to adapt and find new strategies. Growth rarely happens in the comfort zone. This does not make the burden pleasant, but it can give it meaning in hindsight. A helpful question is therefore: As hard as this is right now—what could I take away from it?

Additionally, simple self-regulation strategies such as conscious breathing, movement, writing down thoughts, or talking to trusted people can be supportive. Staying grounded does not mean having everything under control—it means regulating and realigning yourself again and again, even when not everything is stable.

Der Student Support der TU Wien bietet kostenfreie Angebote zur psychologischen Beratung und Mental Health: Psychologische Einzelberatung (3 Einheiten extern), Psychologische Sprechstunde (3 Einheiten TU-intern), Workshops zu Prüfungsangst, Prokrastination, AD(H)S und Depression.